Scanning for safety: Clerks pushing WA bill to end chaos at the self-checkout line
Feb 12, 2025, 6:24 PM
Woman scanning groceries at self-checkout line in Costco. (Photo: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(Photo: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
As self-checkout stations continue to proliferate across grocery stores in Washington, concerns over workers and customers have sparked a need for new legislation — which would be the first of its kind in the country.
House Bill 1739, introduced by Representative Mary Fosse (D-Everett), aims to regulate the use of these automated checkout systems to protect grocery store clerks from being overwhelmed and exposed to unsafe working conditions.
The bill would require grocery stores over 15,000 square feet, to have at least one manual checkout station always open when self-checkouts are in use, limit the number of self-checkout stations a single worker can monitor to two and ensure that self-checkouts are only available for customers with 15 items or less.
Rep. Fosse, who has firsthand experience working in the grocery industry, explained Wednesday, during the bill’s public hearing in front of the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee that self-checkout stations are often used as a cost-cutting measure at the expense of workers.
“What our workers face … has been a lot of challenges across Washington for grocery workers with unchecked automation and chronic understaffing,” Fosse said.
The bill’s primary aim is to reduce the safety hazards faced by workers who are expected to monitor numerous self-checkout stations while also addressing customer concerns.
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Worker shares experience with self-checkout
James Reed, a worker with nine years of experience in the grocery industry, shared his experience during the hearing, highlighting the dangerous realities workers face.
“I often manage six to 12 machines alone … I am alone, juggling what should be multiple positions. It’s not just stressful, it’s dangerous,” Reed said.
Reed recounted situations where customers’ frustrations were directed at workers when machines malfunctioned or when assistance was delayed.
“I’ve been cussed out, watched people hit machines and seen people walk out without hundreds of dollars of merchandise,” he said. “People deserve to feel safe and respected at work.”
Amy Daley Angell, a 17-year veteran of QFC, expressed similar concerns, especially regarding the increased reliance on automation and the resulting understaffing.
“It’s terrifying to be alone on the front end while people are stealing things over and over,” Daley Angell said.
She explained how reduced staffing meant that one employee would often be left to oversee self-checkout stations while also assisting customers in other areas of the store.
“We are paying the price. We are overworked and mistreated,” Angell said.
Advocates say bill would create a safer workplace
The bill has received both support and opposition. Advocates argue that it would address key safety concerns in the workplace while providing necessary protections for workers.
Joe Mizrahi, the secretary-treasurer of UFCW Local 3000, which represents over 25,000 grocery workers in Washington, stressed that the bill would put “basic common sense workplace standards” in place to protect workers from being overburdened and exposed to unsafe conditions.
“When grocery workers are left to monitor six, eight, or even a dozen self-checkout machines at once, they’re not only overwhelmed, they’re exposed,” Mizrahi said.
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Opponents argue lines would be longer
Opponents of the bill, such as representatives from the Washington Food Industry Association and the Northwest Grocery Retail Association, have voiced concerns over the prescriptive nature of the legislation.
They argue that it would remove flexibility for store managers to tailor staffing and automation levels to meet customer needs.
“We would need to demand one person for every two checkout stations, which is overkill, and honestly just kind of defeats the purpose of self-checkout,” Brandon Housekeeper, from the Northwest Grocery Retail Association, said.
Despite these objections, the need for addressing workplace safety in the context of increased automation remains clear.
“Public safety is a huge issue in our stores, and if self-checkout is leading to higher instances of public safety issues, then we’re happy to have those conversations,” Katie Beeson of the Washington Food Industry Association, said.
Matt Markovich often covers the state legislature and public policy for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on X, or email him here.
